Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to storage and retrieval systems for dental x-rays, and to containers for use in such systems. More particularly, the invention relates to improved products for the storage of mounted dental x-rays that enable easy determination of the identity of the stored x-rays without removal of the x-rays from their storage container, positioning of, e.g., historical x-ray films on a mount of current x-ray films in an easy to use position from which the container is readily flipped up to reveal and provide access to the current x-ray films on the mount, and facilitate writing identifying or other indicia on the container in a specially provided location.
The invention is advantageous as well for being manufacturable without use of typical envelope making machinery that relies on bonding adhesives and is not adapted well to making very small envelopes with see-through portions. The invention containers use melt techniques to bond the container panels.
2. Related Art
Dental x-rays are typically held in plastic sheet mounts of approximately 5xc3x9711 inches that have x-ray film mounting slots. Typically current x-ray films are mounted in the slots. Archived or historical x-ray films needed for an appraisal of past vs. current tooth and gum conditions are kept in odd containers that lack convenience in use. Typically, these odd containers are pressed into service from another pat of the dentist""s office and lack see-through ability, ease of mounting to anything anywhere, such as the x-ray film mount, and are untidy. An important consideration to the dental practitioner is ease of handling and minimizing damage to the x-ray film. The dental practitioner typically stores indefinitely the x-ray films previously used in patient diagnosis and treatment. Locating a particular x-ray after a period of time is made more difficult by the present practice of placing the x-ray film in the odd small bag similar to a coin envelope where they are concealed from view and not easy to identify or retrieve.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved dental x-ray storage and retrieval system. It is a further object to provide a container tailored for storage of dental x-ray films that have been exposed and developed to retain tooth images of a patient, that have served their immediate purpose, and that are no longer associated with a patient""s chart, but that must retained for future reference. A further object is to provide the container with a transparent panel for easy ascertainment of the presence or not of x-ray film within the container, and the identity of the particular x-ray film. A further object is to provide a flap portion on the containers that has a tacky adhesive enabling placing the container on the x-ray film mount for storage, the adhesive flap permitting flipping up of the container to reveal and provide access to the underlying current x-ray films, or the flap can be used to reversibly close the container. Another object is to provide a visible write able surface for recording patient or other data.
These and other objects of the invention to become apparent hereinafter are realized in a storage and retrieval system for dental x-rays comprising one or more dental x-ray films, an enclosing container sized for closely containing the dental x-ray films, the container having a first generally rectangular panel for rigidity and a second panel generally congruent with the first panel and at least partially of a transparency affording an identifying view of the x-ray films within the container, the second panel being adhered to the first panel along three sides forming a pocket close about the x-ray films in x-ray film storing and retrieving relation, the first panel defining a flap portion beyond the pocket comprising a continued extent of the first panel having tacky adhesive thereon for detachably securing the container to an X-ray mount face or other surface or alternately reversibly closing the open side of the pocket.
In this and like embodiments, typically, the first panel is opaque, and comprises cellulosic material such as paper, the second panel is transparent and comprises a transparent plastic material, such as a heat meltable, transparent plastic and is heat melted to adhere to the first panel along substantially three sides of the panels in container-defining relation and free of added adhesive.
In these and like embodiments, there is also included a peel strip temporarily covering the flap adhesive.
In a further embodiment, the invention provides, in combination, the described dental x-ray storage and retrieval system container and an x-ray film mount, the container being attached to the edge of the mount by the flap for flipping back and to the mount without detaching so as to provide a view of x-ray film mounted on the mount beneath the container.
In this and like embodiments, typically, the flap on its face opposite the adhesive defines a write able surface.
In a further embodiment the invention provides an enclosing container useful in a storage and retrieval system for one or more dental x-ray films, the container comprising a first generally rectangular cellulosic panel for rigidity and a more flexible second panel generally congruent with the first panel and comprised of a heat-meltable transparent plastic material permitting viewing of container contents, the second panel being melt-adhered to the first panel along three sides forming a pocket, the first panel defining a flap portion beyond the pocket comprising a continued extent of the first panel having tacky adhesive thereon for detachably securing the container to an X-ray mount face or other surface or alternately reversibly closing the open side of the pocket.
In this and like embodiments, generally, the first panel is opaque, the flap portion defining a write able surface opposite the adhesive, the first panel comprises paper, and includes also a peel strip on the adhesive on the flap portion.
In a further and particular embodiment, the invention provides a storage and retrieval system for dental x-rays comprising one or more dental x-ray films, an enclosing container for the dental x-ray films, the container having a first generally rectangular panel of about 3.75 inches in height and about 2.5 inches in width, with about 0.5 inch of the height taken by the flap portion of the envelope, the first panel being comprised of paper and relatively rigid and a second panel generally congruent with the first panel and comprised of a heat-meltable transparent plastic material of about 3.25 inches in height and about 2.5 inches in width such that the first panel flap portion continues about 0.5 inch above the height of the second panel. The second panel is relatively less rigid than the first panel and affords an identifying view of the x-ray films within the container, the second panel being melt-adhered to the first panel along three sides to provide a second panel open side edge for insertion and removal of x-ray films in storing and retrieving relation. Further, the second panel is free of melt adhesion to the first panel adjacent and below the open edge to permit bending back of the open edge to facilitate insertion and removal of the dental x-ray films.